Constitution And Monarchy Flashcards
What is a constitution? (2)
A shared set of values, recognised and accepted by subjects.
These are instilled in law and upheld by Parliament, courts and other institutions.
What are the two types of constitution? (2)
Written/codified - where a single document lays down the rules i.e. the USA and France
Unwritten - i.e. the UK
What are the five sources of unwritten constitution? (5)
Statues - Acts of Parliament
Common Law
Treatises/theorists - books so revered they are used as ‘handbooks’
Treaties - EU and other international agreements
Advantages of the UK’s unwritten constitution (2)
Can be amended by elected Parliament of the day
Can develop naturally to reflect society’s changing needs and values e.g. decline of the monarchy and the turn towards elected bodies.
Disadvantages of UK’s unwritten constitution (3)
Ambiguous - provokes wrangling among lawyers, politicians and historians.
Human Rights - in a codified constitution, Parliament would not be able to pass any legislation that impinged on these rights
Executive power - some say the Government is too powerful in the UK and there are insufficient controls on what it does
What are the principles of the UK constitution? (3)
Sovereignty of Parliament
Rule of Law
Separation of Powers
What is meant by Sovereignty of Parliament? (3)
Parliament is supreme
Represents the will of the people through representative democracy
No parliament can bind a future parliament
What is the Rule of Law? (2)
Citizens and institutions are subject to clearly defined laws
No one is above the law, including the Prime Minister and Government
What are the separation of powers? How do they work? (3)
Government - proposes law, enacts law
Parliament - Makes law, scrutinises and holds government to account
Judiciary - Enforces the law
What is ‘representative democracy’ in the UK?
In the UK, MPs represent the electorate
What are the two types of representative democracy? (2)
Federal democracy - i.e. the USA, where the country is divided into separate political units, each with autonomy over its own affairs
Unitary democracy - in the UK, the bulk of the power remains in central government in Westminster.
What is devolution?
The transfer of power from London to nations and regions of the UK (to decentralise the power)
What are devolved powers?
The powers afforded to nations in the UK to handle their own matters i.e. Scotland can raise its own taxes
What are reserved powers?
Powers that the UK Parliament retains control over.
Examples:
Defence, foreign policy, immigration
What is the Queen’s role in the constitution? (4)
Acts as head of state
Head of the Commonwealth and Armed Forces
Has ‘royal prerogative’ powers that can be exercised on the advice of the PM and ministers
PM can use these powers without parliament’s approval
